Rather Than a Riff: Golden Hill Cafe

Many years ago, my friend lived on 23rd Street, so we would occasionally meet for breakfast at a diner at 25th Street and C. Officially, the place is known as the Golden Hills Coffee Shop, but locals — and the signage out front — call it the Golden Hill Cafe. We would hang out, eat inexpensive and filling food, and talk late into the afternoon. I loved that place.

Flash forward to 2011, and — hurray! — my family has moved to Golden Hill, just a couple of blocks from this neighborhood institution. The diner hasn’t changed a bit — the building is a cool, 1940s California Modern, right on the corner, and it’s still a great spot. The Golden Hill Cafe’s charm as a hangout, though, is just one of its many virtues. Unlike trendier places such as Hash House a Go Go in Hillcrest or the Mission in North Park, there are no lines of hungry hipsters. To be fair, neither is there anything elaborate or fancy on the menu. But sometimes, rather than having a riff on diner food — rosemary-infused hash browns or smoked-salmon scrambles — I’d rather just have real diner food from a real diner.

And a real diner is precisely what the Golden Hill Cafe is. The other morning, my son, a friend of mine, and I ambled up to check out the breakfast fare. The space in the café takes advantage of picture windows on two sides; booths are arranged under the windows. The counter hunkers down in the middle of the room. The waitresses, all of whom are seasoned professionals, greet you cheerily as you come in, and they offer up coffee before you’ve even taken your seat. As I glanced around the room, I noted how the mix of people in the booths reflected the diversity of the neighborhood. Families occupied the bigger booths, college-aged bohemians chatted at smaller tables, and older folks sat at the counter and gossiped with the wait staff. Like all real diners, this is a neighborhood gathering spot, not a scene. It was bustling, and the service was friendly and efficient.

As mentioned above, if you’re expecting organic, farm-to-table food, keep driving. The menu here offers standard American and Mexican breakfast and lunch fare, with nary a description or sourcing information. It’s unfussy, hearty, and inexpensive food. My plate of eggs benedict was gigantic, with two poached eggs balanced atop thinly sliced ham (rather than the usual Canadian bacon — purists beware) and anchored to the plate by a lightly toasted English muffin. Generously sauced with a bright yellow hollandaise (a bit gluey but serviceable, especially once I zipped it up with some Tapatío), the dish satisfies one’s craving for a big breakfast after a late night out. Freshly grated hash browns sing, redolent of onions grated in along with the potatoes. My son, after inhaling the springy buttermilk pancake that took up his entire plate, couldn’t keep his fork from straying to my potatoes. We’re connoisseurs, and these more than passed muster.

My friend ordered the huevos rancheros, which were authentic and fresh. They came with beans and flour or corn tortillas — he used the flour tortillas to mop up the homemade sauce. The neighborhood has a large working-class and Mexican population. You can order chilaquiles, tortilla soup, and on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, pozole and enchiladas. There are also sandwiches, hamburgers, and salads.

As I ran past the café a couple of mornings ago, the weekday waitress stopped what she was doing and waved at me through the window. It was all I could do not to ditch my run. I wanted to grab a newspaper and hang out at the counter to find out what her story is. I wanted to drink a bottomless cup of coffee and dig into those hash browns again. Alas, I opted for exercise over breakfast. But if (when) I decide to stray, a real diner and a kind wait staff is right up the street. ■

Comments

I was sitting at La Casita, by City College, when I picked up the Reader and read Ms Emma Goldman's column on this little gem of a diner the Golden Hill Cafe. I've lived in the area for years and have enjoyed their meals over these years. I have never been disappointed until today.
I was terribly hungry! The waitress, who was very friendly and offered her comment about the Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs I selected (comes with hash-browns and gravy) that she had been recommending to many of her customers today.
The food service was fast! Yes, it smelled great as the waitress placed my plate before me but, I was shocked at what I received! It wasn't Chicken Fried Steak!!! What I received was a "Carne Asada" that had been covered in egg wash and flour!!!
After I ate most of the meal, and tapatio didn't help, I told the waitress about what that meal should be i.e. deep fried cube steak with a crunch! She apologized and was at a loss for words because of my disappointment in the meal but I also told her that I still think that this place deserves its kudos but not that meal which was a travesty of American Diner delicacy!